Castlebay

Towns & Villages

Castlebay sits on Barra's southern coast and is the island's largest village.

Overlooking Castle Bay with Vatersay beyond, Castlebay was once a thriving herring port in the 19th century, with up to 400 boats in its harbour and curing and packing factories ashore. Nowadays, the main sea traffic into the port comes from the CalMac ferries from Mallaig, Lochboisdale and Oban.

The village has various B&Bs, guest houses, shops, a petrol station, bank and hospital. There is also a good choice of establishments to dine in. The family run Café Kismul serves Indian and Italian cuisine with local seafood, and the Castlebay Hotel serves quality dishes made from local ingredients.

As its name suggests, Castlebay has a castle in its bay, the medieval islet-fortress of Kisimul Castle that is the ancestral home of Clan MacNeil. It is open to the public and accessed by a small ferry that runs from the slipway at the bottom of Main Street.